


Behind Her Heart

by Impala_Dreamer



Category: The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/M, NSFW, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 20:24:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15178643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Dreamer/pseuds/Impala_Dreamer
Summary: ~Katniss and Gale share a moment one early morning.~





	Behind Her Heart

She ran through the town, cool air nipping at her neck and arms. Her legs were strong, carrying her swiftly to the hole in the fence. She knew she should stop going, knew her every move was being watched now and forever. She didn’t need to hunt anymore, she had money, a house, food; but she needed it. Her soul needed it. She needed to be free, even for a few hours. The woods gave her that.

The forest had changed while she was away. It was a darker green now, with hues of orange and red threatening to overtake it all. Autumn was fully here, and soon, the snow would fall, blanketing the world in pure white.

Leaves crunched beneath her feet, making it harder to sneak up on her prey, but she wasn’t expecting to take a life today. She just wanted the fresh air, the open sky; wanted to watch the sunrise through the trees.

Finally she made it to the clearing and set down her bow beside the wide rocks that offered a resting place. She laid down there, her back on the cold stone, and lifted her face to the sky. The horizon was lightening with morning, golden rays to the east, and darkness behind her. She imagined she could see the split in the sky, the place where night ended and morning began.

“You’re up early, Katnip.”

She smiled, not looking towards the familiar voice that broke her meditation. Katniss sat up and brushed some dirt from her knee. “I’m always up,” she scoffed dryly. “What are you doing? Day off?”

Gale shook his head, “Just the morning. Thought I’d help thin the squirrel population a bit.” He smiled, hanging his head as he kicked at a rock. “Glad I ran into you though.”

Katniss eyed him suspiciously as he moved to sit beside her, “Why’s that?” He was her best friend, her first love, perhaps, but things were different now. She knew he was still hurt by what she’d done in the Games, how she’d spent the last months pretending to be in love with Peeta. She felt for him, felt bad, but she couldn’t worry about Gale’s feelings. She did what she had to do. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t be here to feel bad.

Gale’s gray eyes drifted over the horizon as he sat down. He kicked up one foot to rest on the rock, his arm leaning on his leg and brushing against her shoulder. “I’m not allowed to miss you anymore?” His voice was low, no hint of jest any longer.

Katniss shook her head, looking away, “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” He looked to her, turning his head and searching her face, for guilt perhaps.

“Don’t try and make me feel bad. I already feel bad,” she scolded.

Gale laughed, “You feel bad? How do you think I feel? Do you know what it was like watching you-”

She cut him off, tired of the discussion that always began this way. It was all guilt and pain now; she missed the old days, the days before when they could talk of random moments and plan for the future. She missed the easy smiles and true, unburdened laughter that fell between them. She missed the few happy moments in her day; they’d all been with him. Her lips pressed his roughly, just a kiss to stop his words. She pulled back immediately and tried to move away, but his strong hands grabbed her cheeks, pulling her back again. 

His kiss was hungry, aggressive, and perfect. He held her in place, his breath swept over her cheek as he tilted his head to taste her lips. His eyes were closed tight, afraid to open them and find her gone.

Katniss was frozen, shocked by the feeling of his hands as the curled around the back of her neck, of his big lips, of his tongue that slid over hers. Slowly she closed her eyes, letting go of the vision of his pained expression, and melted against him. This kiss was everything. It was all their pain, all their need, all their love.

Gale pushed her back gently, using his hands to guide her head down against the rock. She let him move her, giving herself over to him, and lay back, spreading her legs for him to settle between. He moved swiftly, his big hand sliding up underneath her sweater to cup her breast. His fingers pulled at her nipple, drawing a hard breath from lungs. He covered her completely, his heavy chest pinning her down onto the cold stone. Her mind reeled; the heat from above and the chill from below set her body on fire and a pulsing need coursed through her. She wanted him, needed him, needed more.

Katniss pulled at his hips, urging him to roll into her. He pressed down hard and she clawed desperately at his big shoulders, digging her fingertips into the tattered sweater he wore. He broke away, his lips leaving hers to trail across her cheek and down her neck. She gasped and bit her lip, trying to hold back the words that threatened to tumble from her mind. His tongue lapped greedily at her pulse and she let go, moaning his name and begging in a whisper, “Take me…”

Gale’s eyes were dark when they met hers, heavy lidded and filled with lust. He pushed away and stood to fumble with his belt as she stared on in wonder. The sun was climbing higher over the trees and its rays haloed him in an orange glow. His face was in shadow, but she caught the turn of his lips, saw the glint in his eye while she slid her pants down and away.

They came together swiftly, reaching that golden moment easily; their passionate cries breaking the calm of the early morning. Once their breath was caught and the deed was done, Gale rested against the hard rock, lazily folding his hands behind his head as he smiled his lover. Katniss pulled away quickly and dressed, not able to find comfort in his arms or the moment. Too many worries plagued her mind, too many unknown dangers lurked throughout the day, ready to spring on her if she wasn’t vigilant.

“You don’t have to run away, you know,” Gale sighed and sat up to collect his clothing.

She rolled her eyes at him as she fixed her shirt, “What, you want to cuddle?” The second her lips closed, she regretted her harshness. Gale’s shoulders fell and he looked away back towards town as his calm, blissful expression faded. Katniss sighed, giving herself a chance to feel something other than the creeping anxiety that loomed over her head. “I’m sorry,” she said softly and fell to her knees in front of him. He kept his gaze on the treeline but she could see the damage she’d done in the wetness that lined his eyes. “Gale,” her hand found his and she held it tightly, trying to grab his attention. “I am sorry. But you know we can’t… We can’t keep doing this.”

Finally he turned back to her, though the hard line of his lips and the sadness in his eyes were not what she’d hoped to see. “Don’t take this away from me, please. They get you out there,” he waved a hand towards the trees, towards home, “but here, now, let me have you.”

There was no answer she could give that would make anything better. No words, good or bad, that would mend his broken heart or fix their messed up lives. Her reply came in a silent press of lips, in a firm squeeze of fingers. In breath that fanned over skin and eyes that held back tears. It didn’t matter what she wanted, it never had. Their lives had been shattered the moment they were born into this mangled world, into the soot and ash of their District. She could never have what she truly wanted so she took his love and stowed it away, hiding it somewhere safe where the monsters of the Capitol couldn’t reach it. Somewhere dark and warm that they couldn’t pry open and bleed dry. She kept him locked forever behind her heart.


End file.
